Holding means for instruments



May 11, 1943- l H. G. mossi-:R i 2,318,738 l HOLDING MEANS FOR INSTRUMENTS Original Filed Nov. 16, 19259 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 X f T/ q. Hel .Hoffen llgl. r

HISTToH/VEK May 11 1943-l H. G. BLossER 2,318,738

HOLDNG MEANS FOR INSTRUMENTS Original Filed Nov. 16, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 f//N/h///f/z May ll, 1943. y H. G. BLossER 2,318,738

HOLDING MEANS FOR INSTRUMENTS Original Filed Nov. 16, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A P561 3^]nsula'on [NWA/T03, Herman [orwell HISATTRNEY.

ing bracket secured vone form of holding means Patented May 1l, 1943 HOLDING MEANS FOR INSTRUMENTS Herman G. Blosser,

The Union Switch vale, Pa.,

Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to & Signal Company, Swissa corporation of Pennsylvania.

Original application November 16, 1939, Serial N o. 304,811. Divided and this application February 18, 1942, Serial No.

2 Claims.

My invention relates to holding means for instruments, and particularly to holding means hereby the movable member of an instrument such as an electrical relay may be effectively locked againstmovement during shipment or handling of the relay to prevent damage which might otherwise result from such handling or shipment.

More particularly, my present invention relates to holding means for locking against movement the movable parts of electrical relays which are suitable for use in railway signaling systems employing for the control of signaling devices direct current which is periodically interrupted or coded at diierent frequencies.

One well known form ol.' relay of the type described employs. an oscillating armature suspended by a iiat metallic spring from a rocker whichin turn, is suspended from the relay top plate by flat flexible strips, and in accordance with my invention the pendulum is provided with a screw threaded hole which receives one end o1' a locking screw. The other end of this screw projects through a clearance hole provided in the relay case and is gripped by a special clampto the relay case.

Other objects and characteristic features of my invention will become apparent as the descrlption proceeds.

'Ihe present application is a division of. my copending application, Serial No. 304,811, filed yon November16, 1939, for Electrical relays, which application beca 9, 1942.

I shall describe one form of relay having applied thereto one form of holding means embodying my invention, and shall then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a View, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing one form of relay having applied thereto embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 taken at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view looking at the relay from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in all three views.

Referring to the drawings, the relay here shown is similar in all respects to the relay described in detail in my parent application, and only so much of the relay structure will be described in detail herein as is necessary for a full undere Patent No. 2,285,890 on June standing of the holding means embodying my present invention.

(Cl. 20G-104) As here illustrated, the relay comprises a suitable case consisting of a top plate I of insulating material secured to the upper end of a nonmagnetic frame 2, a base plate 3 secured to the lower end of the frame 2, and a transparent glass cylinder 4 clamped between the top plate I and base plate 3.

Suspended from the top plate I for swinging movement between two extreme positions by means of two iiexible strips I6 and I1 (see Fig. 3) is a contact carrying rocker I5 provided with a. plurality of iiexible contact lingers I8 and I9, each of which cooperates with a fixed contact ringer IIIa or I9a to close a contact I8-I8a or I9-I9a according as the rocker is swung to one or the other of its extreme positions. The two outer lingers I8 and I9 are connected by means of the strips I 6 and II with terminal posts 23 mounted on the top plate I, while the remaining pairs of fingers are electrically connected by means of iiexlble connectors 24 with other terpositions of the flexible fingers when the fingers -are out of engagement with the associated fixed contact members are determined by stops 25 which are clamped against the outer faces of the fingers by means of associated studs 20, and which are so adjusted by bending them that the lingers will break the contacts in the desired positions in response to swinging movement of the contact carrying rocker I5. The xed contact members I8a and I'9a are adjustably secured to angle brackets 26 adjustably mounted on terminal posts 21 secured to the top plate I.

The relay also comprises a suitable motor device for moving the rocker I5 between its two extreme positions to alternately operate the contacts I8-I8a and III-Illa. As here illustrated, this motor device comprises an electromagnet C having pole pieces 30a and 30h secured to the plate portions 2a and 2b in parallel spaced relation, and connected together at one end by a core 30 surrounded by a winding 33. The free ends of the pole pieces cooperate with an armature 34 which is attached to the lower end of a metallic ilat spring 35, the upper end of which is secured to the center of the rocker I5 within a vertical groove 36 by means of a bolt 31, as best seen in Fig. 3. The armature 34 together with the spring 35 serve as a pendulum to bias the rocker I5 to its central position in which it is shown in the drawings, and in which the contacts I 8-I8a and I8-I9a are all open, and the parts are so proportioned that when the armature occupies the position to which it is biased by gravity, it will be disposed outside of the eld set up between the pole pieces 30a and 3th. The length of the armature is such that it is free to swing between the pole pieces and it will be seen, therefore, that energization of the winding 33 will tend to pull the armature between the pole pieces, and hence will swing the rocker 5 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2.

The rocker is also provided with other contacts which are not shown, but which are described in detail in applicants parent application referred to hereinbefore. that if they are connected in series with the winding 33 in a control circuit for the relay, the electromagnet will become alternately energized and deenergized in a manner to cause 'the rocker I5 to oscillate at a period which depends upon the thickness, stiiness and length of the spring 35 in combination with the mass of the pendulum-armature.

It will be apparent that when the rocker I5 is oscillated the contacts 'lB-la and I9-l9a will be alternately opened and closed at the frequency of oscillation of the rocker. These contacts may be used for coding purposes or to control any desired circuits.

As will be apparent from an inspection of the drawings, the pendulum-armature 34 possesses considerable mass, and unless some means are provided to prevent it from swinging during handling of the relay, damage is likely to result to the strips i6 and l1 which support the rocker l5, to the contacts, or to other vparts of the relay. In accordance with my present invention, I prevent the armature from swinging Vby means of two screws 46 and 41, the upper ends of which vare screwed into tapped holes in the armature V34 to positions in which Ashoulders formed on the screws engage the bottom of the armature. The lower ends of the screws 46 and 41 extend downwardly through clearance holes 48 in the bottom plate 3 and into holes 49 formed between split portions of a bracket 50. The bracket 50 is secured to the underside of the bottom plate 3, and the lower Vends of the screws are clamped .between the splitV portions of the bracket by means of clamping screws 5| which draw the split portions together and cause them to securely 4grip the lower ends of the screws 46 and `'41. When the screws are thus gripped, they are prevented from moving in all directions, and it will be seen, therefore, that the pendulum-armature 34 and rocker l5 will then be securely held in their normal positions in which they are shown in the drawings.

In applying the screws 46 and 41 the clamping These contacts are so arranged screws 5I are first loosened, and the screws 46 and 41 are then inserted upwardly through the split portions of the bracket and the holes in the base plates 3 and are screwed into the holes in the pendulum-armature by means of a screw driver which is inserted into a saw kerf provided in the lower ends o the screws. The clamping screws 5I are then tightened. When it becomes desirable to place the relay in service, the clamping screws 5l are rst loosened and the screws 46 and 41 are then removed, after which suitable plugs are inserted in the holes in the clamping plate 5l) and clamped in place by means of the clamping screws 5| to prevent the entry of foreign substances through -the holes in the clamping-plate.

One advantage of holding means embodying my invention is that it provides a simple and effective method for protecting the relay parts during shipment.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of holding means for instruments embodying my invention, itis understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, an instrument having a xed part and a movable part provided with a screw threaded hole, a screw screwedvinto 'said hole and extending through a clearance :hole in said xed part, a bracket secured to said fixed part and provided with a split portion which receives said screw, vand means for causing said split portion to grip said screw.

2. The combination with a relay comprising a rocker mounted for swinging movement'betwe'en two positions, a pendulum-armature secured to said rocker by means of a flat spring and cooperating with electromagnetic means for causing swinging movement of said rockerbetween its two positions, contacts operated by the movement of said rocker, and 'a casing enclosing all of said parts, of mea-ns for preventing movementof said pendulum-armature during shipment comprising a screw extending through a, clearance hole in said casing and screwed into a threaded lhole 'provided in said pendulum-armature; a bracket secured to said casing and provided with a split portion which receives the outer lend of :said screw, and means for causing said split portion to grip said screw in a manner to prevent movement of said screw in all directions.

HERMAN G. BLOSSER. 

